ProJazz.net

“Four” is a 1954 jazz standard popularized and famously recorded by trumpeter Miles Davis.

Personnel:

Miles Davis – trumpet
Horace Silver – piano
Percy Heath – bass
Art Blakey – drums

Key Details and Recordings

• Original Recording: First recorded on March 15, 1954, for Prestige Records.
• Primary Albums:
  • Blue Haze (1954): Features the original quartet recording with Horace Silver (piano), Percy Heath (bass), and Art Blakey (drums).
  • Workin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet (1959): Features the “First Great Quintet,” including John Coltrane.
  • ‘Four’ & More (1964): A live album recorded at Lincoln Center, featuring a high-energy performance by Davis’s Second Great Quintet.
• Authorship Controversy: While officially credited to Miles Davis, jazz history often attributes the composition to saxophonist Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, who reportedly sold the rights to Davis.